The Chambers family arrived in Harwich in the 1930s and stayed innkeepers throughout two generations (Bill and Arthur) until the 1980s. Members of the family still live in the town.

The room has some excellent examples of mullioned medieval windows as well as some fine ships timbers, these won’t add to your night’s sleep but they look lovely. Partial sea view.

William Hammond was the first ever Alma innkeeper as well as ferry boat agent fish dealer councillor and bankrupt. A jack of all trades he stayed for 5 years. There’s a pronounced slope to this room so roller skating is not allowed but people with one leg longer than the other will feel right at home. If you lean out of the window you shall have the same view of the estuary that Christopher Jones the master of the Mayflower had.

Henry John Kingsford was a carpenter who fitted out the bar in 1887. We know this because he left a bit of wood with his name and date on it in a void behind some panelling. It is written on the same wood in which the cabin is panelled, in a beautiful copperplate hand.

Kingsford is small, it’s compact and bijou. If you like that sort of thing it’s perfect. However if you’re oversize and like swinging cats please chose another room. No sea view without a periscope.

Charles Cullingham was the merchant brewer from Ipswich who put up the money to transform the Alma from a merchant’s house to the pub we now know. The room is large and has a bath as well as a shower. It boasts a sea view and a view of a quite charming electrical substation.

The Deanes were prominent Harwich residents, there name appears on the deeds throughout the centuries, Anthony Deane was the MP for Harwich at the same time as Samuel Pepys. The room has a side room that contains a single bed so can be used as a family room.

The Spraklin name appears on the deeds for most of the 18th century and our attic rooms are named after them. There is one double and one twin in the attic with a shared bathroom. Sea views but only at high tide. A tight staircase needs to be negotiated to reach the attic.